Discord on the Loose
by AmericanWizard13
Summary: When a prisoner is unleashed upon unsuspecting New York City, Clockwork's Apprentices are sent in. They just weren't expecting that they would be saved by magical creatures or be the only barrier keeping the No-Maj population from discovering the existence of wizarding kind. Now walking the fine-line, how are the four of them to capture the prisoner without exposure?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note**

 **This is the second story in my Clockwork's Apprentices series. It's advisable that you go and read the first story ( _Mission: Mixed Justice_ ) before you continue. But I can't force you to do anything so continue on at your risk if you haven't.**

 **This is a multiple crossover between Harry Potter, Danny Phantom, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Legend Trilogy, and Avatar: the Legend of Korra. Information pertaining to these are as followed:**

 **Harry Potter: This is taking place about a year after Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them in New York City. It's simply for my preference because I loved the movie and learning, even just a smidge, about the magical creatures in the wizarding world. So I'm playing off of that. Most information pertaining to the magical side during this time period has been taken from Pottermore and I do admit I have yet to read every entry about the American magical world, but I have enough to hopefully make this somewhat accurate.**

 **Danny Phantom: This isn't a story containing Danny but Danielle. If you personally prefer Danny, I do implore you to at least read this story and the previous one. In my personal opinion, Danielle was created around the time Danny was 15, making a 3 year difference between the two. In this story, Danielle is 15, making Danny and his friends 18 and Jazz (if she ends up being mentioned at all or shown) is 20 to 21.I have taken the liberty of giving Danielle powers very different from Danny's and that's better explained in the first story I wrote. On top of that, Danny is to become king of the Ghost Zone (I've always liked this idea) but as you read and know from the previous story, there's complications. I won't try to ruin it just yet for the new readers. On a side note, Danny and Sam are dating, even if it's just mentioned and not shown.**

 **Percy Jackson and the Olympians: This is to an OC of mine, Nevidebla Good, daughter of Hermes. It's been roughly over a year since the Second Giant War, peace between the camps, and yadda, yadda, you get it.**

 **The Legend Trilogy: This is to another OC, Caspar Braddock. The story, if you go by the dates of when Marie Lu provides them, is just kicking it for him, though it's only mentioned and not explained into depth. (If you are curious about dates, I had used them in my first story because of the format Young Justice had with their shows. In this story, they won't be utilized so if you had liked them, sorry, but I'm not going to go back through and add them.)**

 **Avatar: the Legend of Korra: This is to yet another OC, Michi Yamauchi. It's after the third season in this cartoon series, so it's in that stalemate of no news from Korra, the Earth Kingdom is in shambles, Kuvira is trying to rebuild it, and the airbenders are helping out on that front. The rift between Kuvira and the Bei Fongs hasn't happened yet, and I do need to find out the rough time when it _does_ happen, though Michi is a little suspicious of Kuvira, as anyone in his position of seeing other worlds would.**

 **DISCLAIMER: This is for the entire story from start to finish. I own nothing. Even my OCs are iffy on if I truly own them or not, which I more than likely don't. There is no way I own Harry Potter, Danny Phantom, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Legend Trilogy, and/or Avatar: the Legend of Korra. No way, no how.**

 **On a side note, I apologize in advance for an OOC-ness. I do try and get the characters into, well, character, but I sometimes find myself stumped on their attitudes and motives even after looking everything I need up.**

 **Now let's get to the story.**

* * *

 **ONE**

 **Information Overload**

They were given a week within their own worlds to tie up loose ends and explain to anyone that cared that they would be gone for an undiscernible amount of time.

Within that time limit, Michi had gathered different metals to use from his own world; Caspar had gathered more pieces for his inventions and acquired more information about the Patriots and the ongoing terrorism of some street con named Day; Nevidebla got her foster siblings out of the home and convinced Chiron to let them stay at Camp for her since she was afraid of what would happen since she could easily be gone for years; and Danielle had clung to her cousins, not really wanting to leave, especially knowing the only time she'd see one of them were the small respites between missions, and even then, those times would be filled with crash courses on the next dimension they were going to. Their lives had become hectic and topsy-turvy, but not even one of them complained as much as they had a right to do. They could see the gravity of the situation, especially when Michi, Caspar, and Nevidebla were informed of how bad Pariah Dark actually was, and how these prisoners they would have to retrieve could be so much worse.

It had happened on the last mission. When two worlds had connected by force, a vortex had created in the Ghost Zone. What had been the worst part, was the fact the vortex had formed within the Nightmare Sector, the area were specialized prisons for the vilest beings in all existences throughout the multiple dimensions had witnessed were stored. The vortex had sucked some of the prisons into its torturous whirl, spitting them out through small pockets into other dimensions. That left the Apprentices of Clockwork to go into different worlds to retrieve these prisoners. It was either to retrieve an undamaged prison or to recapture a prisoner whose prison had become destroyed. This was the first mission out of four.

"This is it?" Michi asked when they were summoned back to Clockwork's Tower, holding the small packet. Granted, it wasn't as small as the last mission's, but he really wanted another file. Or a stack of files. Nevidebla was already scanning hers quickly, her hazel eyes soaking in the information. One good thing about Nevidebla: she remembered everything she read. It was why her packet was a little larger and the font just a smidge tinier. It was information that _could_ be useful, but _wouldn't_ if everything went on the smoothest route possible. Caspar's was almost like Nevidebla's with the packet full of information but the font was the same size as Michi's and only had what looked like a page—or seven—extra. He could memorize and was the second best at retaining information it was no wonder he had some more, too. Just encase.

"We are on a time crunch," Clockwork stated, his gloved hands tightening around his scepter ever so slightly.

Michi didn't know if he should snort at that bad pun.

Nevidebla solved the crisis by just being her compulsive self and letting out the loudest snort anyone has heard.

"Good one, CW," Nevidebla laughed, sending their mentor a cheeky smile before looking back down at the packet. Michi finally started to skim his own, noting it was all about the upcoming world. There was nothing about the prisoner that was sent there. Nothing to describe the prison: what it looked like, what its shape was, or who it contained.

"There's nothing about the prisoner," Michi stated, worry entering his voice. Clockwork handed out a smaller, flimsy packet to each one of them. Again, Nevidebla's looked to be a little bit bigger and Caspar's only by a page or two. "Thanks."

"Before you continue," Clockwork said, floating in front of them, spectral tail flickering back and forth in agitation, "I will give you a quick overview. I must send you off immediately. As soon as you arrive within the world, find somewhere to stay and read the packets."

The four of them nodded in unison.

"You will be arriving in New York City in the late 1920s—1927 to be exact," Clockwork stated evenly. "This world has a magical subdivision that does _not_ want to be discovered by those who are non-magical, especially Americans. The packets provide information on the local government, typical spells used in defense and those that are helpful in other situations that can and will arise, and information on the more prominent witches and wizards in America you might come across."

"So, we have to blend into the magical world?" Danielle asked, flipping through the packet before seeming to find something. "Clockwork, it says wands are used. None of us can use a wand."

Clockwork smirked at that, causing Michi to be a little weary of what was coming up next.

"Michi and Caspar cannot," Clockwork answered easily, "neither has a core nor are blessed by Hecate."

"So, Dani and I can use wands?" Nevidebla asked, raising an eyebrow but her eyes glittered. "I like this idea very much."

"I don't," Caspar grumbled. Michi nodded in agreement with his redheaded friend.

"I have a friend of mine in this world construct wands that can perform magic, albeit simple and commonly used spells, but it will be magic nonetheless," Clockwork answered easily before looking at the two girls in the group. "Because of your ghost core, Danielle, and your ability to manipulate the Mist, Nevidebla, you both are able to wield the magic in this world. The best way to blend into the magical side is to use a wand. Do _not_ try to use your abilities without them unless there is no other option. Wandless magic is rare and two fifteen-year-olds should not be able to accomplish such a task.

"Couldn't we say we're prodigies?" Nevidebla asked mildly.

"No, that will draw attention to you that you do not need," Clockwork answered with great patience. "It is advisable to not draw the magical government into this."

"What about the wands?" Michi asked. Clockwork waved his stopwatch scepter and four wands appeared on the table the four had been sitting at. Michi picked up the fine-grained, ivory wand in front of him.

"Despite what I told my friend, she insisted on making sure the woods used for these wands matched you and Caspar appropriately," Clockwork stated. "She said aspen suited you, Michi, while Caspar's is made of dogwood."

"Ours are more complicated than that, aren't they?" Nevidebla asked, holding up her ornately carved wand, the handle seeming to fit in her hand as comfortably as the hilt of her sword.

"Yours is a rowan wand with a dragon heartstring core," Clockwork answered. "She advises I tell you to at least give it a wave. If it doesn't work, you will have to go to her wand shop and test out all of them."

Michi cringed at the thought. Nevidebla shrugged and waved her wand about, glowing white mist swirling off the tip. Clockwork nodded, showing the wand was good before looking at Danielle holding a warm-wooded wand.

"Larch with a Thunderbird tail feather core," Clockwork supplied. "I've already placed all the clothing for this mission in the rooms, ready to be switched out with the ones you already have."

The four left the observation room and headed to the personal rooms placed into the Tower. Before, they were only used for changing into clothes. Now ... Michi had a feeling he would become very acquainted with the bed inside. He found the pile of clothes, all loosely designed the same way in varying shades of blacks, greys, and a few random splashed of color thrown in, most being varying shades of red. Michi pulled on the weirdly long pants. Next came the boots, looking fancier than what Michi was used to with soft, shone leather and laces running up them to keep them in place better. Michi pulled them on, happy to see they covered the metal prosthetic on his left leg, followed by the annoying button-up shirt, a charcoal waistcoat, and some weird hat that was more floppy cloth than anything else with a brim that probably went over his eyes. There was a brief moment of crisis before Michi placed the hat on his head of what to do with his dark brown hair. There was a vague feeling it was probably too long to be highly appropriate in the day and age he was entering. He decided he'd just pull it up underneath the hat and call it good. It was weird to be in the clothes, his brown skin being set off by the dark colors and he could only guess what they did with his grey eyes.

Michi switched out the clothing in his bag. Actually, it was more like a briefcase with hidden pockets that were a little bigger than normal due to magic. Clockwork had handed them out before they went to see their worlds again, saying to keep them in the rooms, they would be needed on the mission. He picked up the briefcase, threw the long black trench coat Clockwork had provided over his arm, and headed back.

Caspar was already there, something Michi was sure was his own magical power in some way. He was dressed in an outfit stylized similar to Michi's except his pants were a mahogany shade, his shirt was white like Michi's, his waistcoat a deep blue color, and his own hat was a simple brown instead of the red like Michi's, covering most of his jaggedly cut red hair. The differences between them besides color was the fact Caspar wore shoes more like loafers and a tawny coat that reached down past his mid-thighs and ended at his wrists. His pale skin was as sickly looking as ever while his green eyes sparked with an inner fire that had always reminded Michi of firebenders.

"Nemean Lion pelt?" Michi asked, tilting his head at the coat. Caspar nodded wordlessly, examining the packet again with much more intensity. Michi could see his wand sticking out of this coat pocket. "Maybe hide the wand in a better spot, though."

Caspar nodded wordlessly, absentmindedly hiding the wand in the waistband of his pants, hidden beneath his shirt, waistcoat, and coat. Michi looked over as Danielle entered the room. Her long black hair was piled high on top of her head, hidden beneath some black hat shaped like a deep bowl with yellow ribbon wrapped around it, and she wore some long black skirt that ended just above her ankles with a loose fitting yellow sweater-shirt on top and these strangely white stockings on her legs that could be seen beneath her skirt. A long black coat billowed behind her since it wasn't buttoned or tied around her waist. Low-heeled, single-strap black shoes were on her feet and her face crinkled in hatred as she walked a little clumsily over. Michi grinned cheekily at their leader who rolled her sky blue eyes and punched him in the shoulder.

"I just hate heels," Danielle snapped.

"It could also do with her knee injury. According to Nevi, she's supposed to be in physical therapy at this time," Caspar tacked on helpfully, briefly glancing upwards before resuming his reading.

"Thank you," Danielle said with a nod. Michi was about to respond when Nevidebla came storming in. She wore a dress that ended just at her knees in a simple slip-like form in a deep green. Black stockings were on her feet with her own low-heeled, single-strap black shoes on, though she moved much more easily in the shoes. Her pale blonde hair had been weaved into a braid before she twisted it around her head, looking for all the world like she didn't care if it was technically part of the time period or not. There was a hat that looked like Danielle's in shape but the base was silver with a green ribbon matching her dress wrapped around it and looked a little crooked on Nevidebla for some reason. An off-white coat was half buttoned and untied. She approached the others, the packets of paper in hand while her other gripped her briefcase tightly.

"I. Hate. Dresses," Nevidebla snarled out.

"But you look so pretty," Caspar cheeked, green eyes not even leaving the packet.

"Screw you," Nevidebla snapped.

"Let's not start," Danielle groaned.

Clockwork floated over to the four, interrupting anything Caspar and Nevidebla were about to say.

"Remember, you are only to obtain this prisoner, _not_ to interfere in anything else going on in this world unless it will end up routing back to the original mission. Understood?" Clockwork asked.

"Yes, sir," Danielle answered with a nod.

"Gotcha," Nevidebla saluted.

"Won't let you down," Caspar stated, shoving his packet of information into the pocket of his coat.

"We will be fine, Clockwork," Michi stated. Clockwork smirked, red eyes glinting with humor.

"I advise you put your coat on now, Michi," Clockwork said, sweeping his arm out and creating a portal. Michi just had time to pull it on before it was his turn to step through out of his friends.

When they appeared on the streets of New York City, Michi looked around intently. The buildings were tall and, when compared to the ones of the mission before, rather old. Everything was clumped together on each street, sidewalks wide for foot traffic while streets were filled with cars shaped more like the ones back in his dimension, but a lot nicer and more solidly built. The four of them had ended up in a side alley clear of any onlookers.

"Let's find a hotel or something," Danielle said, interrupting whatever Michi was thinking.

"Do we even have money?" Caspar asked.

"Clockwork provided us an unlimited amount of money in the pockets of our coats," Nevidebla butted in, reaching into one of her coat's pockets and pulling out a few coins in gleaming silver and copper. "Everything will cost less than what we're used to for the most part, but it's still the same concept of money management."

"Would it be easier to find something to eat and ask any locals of a cheap place to stay? We'd be able to kill two birds with one stone," Caspar suggested, holding his stomach. Michi had to agree. It was past midday and none of them had properly eaten since they had gotten back from their dimensions.

"Sure," Danielle answered with a nod before looking at Nevidebla. "Why don't you lead the way? You do seem better at locating what we need in a compact city."

"Or in every city we've encountered," Caspar jabbed.

Nevidebla simply shoved Caspar's shoulder before walking out, leading the remaining three down sidewalks and across streets. Her steps were sure and if Michi hadn't known she was as lost as them, he'd have assumed she had grown up in New York City all her life. They passed by buildings and Nevidebla stopped outside a bakery called _Kowalski Quality Baked Goods_. She turned and gestured to the building.

"This good?" Nevidebla asked.

"Yeah, let's go in," Danielle said, slipping into the building with the others following her. Michi stared in wonder at the creations. They were shaped like creatures, one reminding him of a platypusbear cub, except not as ferocious. Another was like a bulbous rhino while another was a cross between a sloth and monkey, and covered in thick white icing.

"These are so cool," Nevidebla whispered, pointing at the pastry creations. "We gotta have some."

They approached the counter and ordered. Danielle seemed scared to eat the strangely shaped creations, settling for a simple Danish pastry. Nevidebla ordered the creation covered in icing, Caspar got the bulbous rhino, and Michi got the platypusbear cub.

"Thank you," Danielle said, handing over the money to pay for their purchases.

"Have a good day," the baker said with a grin. He was a chubby man with a long face, brown hair, and dark brown eyes. He wore a white apron over his clothes and his hands were covered in flour.

"Do you know a good place to stay the night?" Caspar asked. Michi was almost shocked that his friend was the one who asked. Usually they left the impulsive behavior to Nevidebla.

"There's a hotel a few blocks away," the baker said, his eyes narrowed as he looked at them. "Why do you kids want to know?"

"Our parents are trying to find a decent place," Nevidebla interjected, making a fast gesture between her and Caspar. "They want to find some place while we enjoyed a little New York sight-seeing."

"I hope you enjoy New York then," the baker grinned, but his close-set, dark brown eyes still held suspicion.

"Thank you," Michi said with a grin and nod as the four finally left the bakery. Once a few stores beyond the bakery, all four relaxed a little. Michi reached over and smacked Caspar upside the head.

"What?" Caspar snapped, rubbing his head but looking sheepish.

"That was stupid," Danielle deadpanned.

"Even _I_ knew not to ask him," Nevidebla pointed out.

"Why not?" Caspar asked.

"Because they're going to get suspicious by four teenagers asking for a place to crash, especially in a group of mixed genders who look nothing alike," Danielle stated.

"Oh," Caspar whispered.

"Let's just be happy Nevi at least thought up a lie in time," Michi said, looking around, "and find this place he mentioned."

"Yeah, but how are we going to get the room?" Caspar asked.

"The Mist," Nevidebla snarked, crossing her arms. They looked at her. "The person behind the counter will except to see two grownups and two kids. If we give them that, we got the room."

"Let's do this," Danielle agreed with a nod.

"Who should the parents be?" Michi asked. Nevidebla smirked, an almost uncomfortably sly one that sent something into his stomach that made him wearier of his friend more than usual.

"Why you and Dani, of course," Nevidebla answered. Caspar snorted at that, looking for all the world like he was in on the joke. Michi didn't understand.

"Why not you? You can lie insanely well," Danielle reproached.

"Yeah, but I need to focus on the Mist. To do what we're doing, I need to constantly be aware of everything and change everything accordingly. This is a little more than I'm used to, and you know it," Nevidebla stated.

"But you can usually do illusions while you're fighting," Michi pointed out, not really believing what Nevidebla was saying.

"While fighting, the brain concentrates on the fight and forgets about other details. Because of this, it's easy to manipulate them into seeing an illusion. You know exactly what they want to see. This situation isn't battle and some people are better at seeing the little things while others aren't," Nevidebla explained.

"What are they going to think when we walk in with two adults and two teenagers and leave with four teenagers?" Danielle asked.

"I can hopefully create the Mist to create two people who look like you and Michi. But don't immediately act like they're there because I don't know if I can. Let the employee initiate the amount of room we need and we can go from there," Nevidebla explained, wringing her hands.

"Fine," Danielle sighed, walking towards the area of the hotel. "Let's get this over with."

* * *

It was rather shocking how quickly it happened. Michi barely remembered the lies Danielle weaved or how the Mist created double vision for Michi: one moment it was just him and his friends, the next there were replicas of him and Danielle standing near Nevidebla and Caspar while the actual two were checking in. The whole ordeal left his mind confused and befuddled, eliciting in him face planting into the pillow of the couch immediately. He felt someone flop down on top of him. Michi made no move to push them off, just let out a groan at the extra weight.

He heard moving and twisted his head to see Caspar had decided to flop himself on top of him. Danielle had slouched herself into a chair and Nevidebla was sat on the floor, going through her packet quickly, rocking back and forth while her hands fidgeted with the paper. Michi watched as the English words shifted into Ancient Greek underneath her fingertips. He knew he needed to read the information, but he was like Danielle and Caspar: he didn't _want_ to.

"MACUSA—or the Magical Congress of the United States of America—was created back in 1693 and followed the introduction of the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy," Nevidebla read aloud, knowing no one else wanted to pick up their own packets. "It was modeled on the Wizards' Council of Great Britain which predated the Ministry of Magic currently in existence today. Representatives of magical communities are elected to create laws both police and protect American wizardkind. How nice. I wonder how they're doing now," Nevidebla had grumbled the last sentences almost bitterly before continuing louder. "The primary aim was to rid the continent of Scourers—corrupt wizards who had hunted their fellow magical beings for personal gain. Apparently, a lot of wizarding criminals had fled to America from Europe. Not that surprising considering the time period."

"Nevi," Danielle groaned, cutting off her rambles before they truly began.

"Sorry," Nevidebla muttered. "The first president was a Josiah Jackson. Very warlike and was appointed by his fellow representatives because he was considered tough enough to deal with all the difficulties following post-Salem Witch Trials. President Jackson's—hey, I just realized they have their own President Jackson! Probably ten times as good as Andrew Jackson to be honest. Bah! Not!"

"Nevi," Danielle bemoaned again, giving their blonde friend a sharp look.

"Sorry," Nevidebla mumbled again, flipping through the packet. "Anyway, Jackson's immediate priority was to recruit and train Aurors—magical law enforcement personal basically. The first dozen have a special place in the U.S. history, actually. Clockwork even gave the list of names. Do you want them?"

"Might as well," Michi grumbled.

"Wilhelm Fischer, Theodard Fontaine, Gondulphus Graves, Robert Grimsditch, Mary Jauncey, Carlos Lopez, Mungo MacDuff, Cormac O'Brien, Abraham Potter, Berthilde Roche, Helmut Weiss, and Charity Wilkinson," Nevidebla rattled off. "Only two survived into old age. Wilkinson became the third President while Fontaine's direct descendant is working at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Doesn't say the exact job this Agilbert is holding. Also, the Graves family remains influential in American wizarding politics to this day."

"My brain is going to be mush," Caspar declared.

"All our brains are going to be mush," Danielle agreed. "Continue, Nevi."

"There's not cooperation between No-Maj government and MACUSA," Nevidebla began.

"No-Maj?" Michi echoed.

"Non-magical people," Nevidebla provided. "British wizards call them muggles."

"We're in _that_ world?" Danielle asked excitedly, straightening up.

"You didn't realize that sooner?" Nevidebla snarked, eyes glittering just as ecstatically.

"You guys can't change anything," Caspar warned.

"It's not like we can," Danielle sighed heavily. "We aren't even in the right decade to do so."

"Yeah, the series takes place in the 1990s, _not_ the 1920s," Nevidebla tacked on.

"Stop this talk and get back to overloading our minds," Michi groaned.

"Okay, so no cooperation between magical and non-magical governments. The first location for the headquarters were in the Appalachian Mountains," Nevidebla said.

"I don't care what you say: I am _not_ going back into those mountains!" Michi snapped.

"I said it was the _first_ location. In 1760, it was relocated to Williamsburg, Virginia, which was home of President Thornton Harkaway. Oh, uh, this president bred Crups—a type of magical creature that looks like a Jack Russell Terrier with a forked tail with a devotion to wizards that's only surpassed by the amount of aggression towards No-Majs," Nevidebla cringed as did the rest of them. "Okay, not running into any Crups if I can help myself. At least those things got him kicked out of office in disgrace for breaching the Statute of Secrecy when they attacked local No-Majs."

"Fuck," Caspar summarized the feeling of terror permeating the room perfectly.

"Continue," Danielle ordered in a shaky voice.

"MACUSA relocated to Baltimore where President Able Fleming had his home. But they moved after the Revolutionary War outbreak and the arrival of the No-Maj Congress, heading to Washington," Nevidebla read. "In Washington, President Elizabeth McGilliguddy—heh, gilliguddy—presided over the infamous ' _Country of Kind?'_ debate of 1777, discussing the issue on whether the magical community owes their highest allegiance to the country in which they made their homes or to the global underground wizarding community? This, of course, was during the Revolutionary War on whether they help No-Maj Americans be liberated from the British Muggles. Officially, they didn't engage after sending a message to the Ministry of Magic on if they were intending to join the fight and response was that they were " _sitting this one out_ " and McGilliguddy—heh, gilliguddy—responded with " _mind you do_ ". I like her. She's sassy," Nevidebla ended with a knowing grin.

"Continue," Caspar announced when it looked like Danielle wouldn't.

"Unofficially, there were American witches and wizards who did help their No-Maj neighbors and the wizarding community celebrated Independence Day with the rest of the American society. Hurrah!" Nevidebla exclaimed, raising her hands in sarcastic excitement.

"Anything else?" Michi groaned.

"Yeah," Nevidebla sighed, seeming to glare at what was coming next. "In 1790, Rappaport's Law came into play. It was created under President Emily Rappaport—hence the name—and was created because of one of the worst breaches of the International Statute of Secrecy ever known. _Faex_."

Nevidebla stared down at the packet in shock. Then she started to laugh uproariously.

"What?" Caspar asked, looking the most intrigued since they arrived in the hotel room.

"Don't leave us hanging," Danielle urged.

"Basically, the daughter of Rappaport's Keeper of Treasure and Dragots and a Scourer descendant almost exposed the existence of magic worldwide. Way to go, America," Nevidebla laughed out. "The law forbids intermarriage and even friendship between wizards and No-Majs in the United States."

"Shit," Caspar whispered.

"That's putting it lightly," Michi muttered.

"MACUSA's base remained in Washington until 1892, when an unforeseen uprising of the Sasquatch population caused another security breach. Let's go with someone got fired and there were mass Obliviations. Looking for a new refuge, wizards infiltrated the construction team of a new building in New York. It's the Woolworth Building, able to house both No-Majs and—if activated with the appropriate spell—transform into a space for wizards. The only outer mark of the new secret location was the owl carved over the entrance," Nevidebla said.

"So, it'll be easy to find if we look hard enough," Michi said.

"But only _if_ we desperately need the government's help," Danielle added on.

"Which, knowing our track record, is a _bad_ idea," Caspar added on.

"Sadly," Nevidebla grouched. "During this time, the President is a Seraphina Picquery from Savannah. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is the largest department of MACUSA. Rappaport's Law is still in operation and several offices in MACUSA have no counterpart in the Ministry of Magic back in Britain. Oh, Clockwork put a note that our wand permits are in the inside pocket of our coats, left side. We need these or we could be in serious trouble. Thing is, we better not break any serious laws, because here, it's not being sent to some prison, it's being executed."

Michi felt his throat tighten. They really had to watch their step here. One wrong move, one wrong run-in with magical law enforcement, and they could be dead.

"Anything else?" Danielle whispered.

"That's it on the government," Nevidebla said, pushing the packet way for a moment. "I'd say let's crack out the other packet but I can see your guys' brains are mush."

"Just a little," Caspar snarked, rubbing his head. Michi finally decided to push his friend towards the end of the couch and sat up.

"We can look over what this prisoner is about tomorrow. Sound good?" Nevidebla asked, looking out at the sky. "It's rather late and we should start early tomorrow anyway. Even if the packet says the prisoner likes dark places better, we want the information more than we want to confront it immediately."

"Agreed," Danielle said, standing up and stretching her back. "Okay, we got two beds and a fold out couch. Any plans for sleeping arrangements?"  
"The beds are queen-sized. You and Nevi take one while Michi and I take the other," Caspar said, standing up and grabbing his briefcase.

"Sounds good," Nevidebla stated, standing up and collecting her packet and briefcase. "See you guys in the morning."

"You too," Michi yawned, getting up from the couch and making his way to the bedroom he would be sharing with Caspar. Michi sat down and began to work on removing his prosthetic leg, glaring at the gleaming metal. He still wished his leg was flesh and blood, still the same brown color of his skin and didn't need his mind to readjust itself so it was constantly bending the leg subconsciously as it acted like the real thing.

"You okay Michi?" Caspar asked, flopping onto the bed ungracefully after changing into a pair of striped pajamas.

"Just thinking," Michi said, placing the leg on the bedside table and changing into his own pair of pajamas. Silence descended onto the pair.

"Are you going to take Clockwork up on his offer?" the redhead asked, breaking the silence.

Michi knew exactly what he was talking about. Clockwork had given the four of them an idea to dwell on: they could leave their own dimension and reside in one of their teammate's instead. But only after these last missions were over with. Michi understood. Being exposed to many different dimensions, seeing the stark differences, and knowing very few and far between had animals quite like his had made him question on if he really wanted to once the suggestion was given to them. But as he kept thinking it over, Michi knew he really wanted to get away from his world. It wasn't for him. Despite the connection with bending that some people in his world had, Michi just wasn't cut out for it. He'd seen too much to be comfortable returning and staying. There was no one to talk to about his adventures. Danielle had her cousins and Nevidebla had her camps. Michi had nothing, just like Caspar. If anyone understood the daunting feeling of keeping something like this holed up within them, it was Caspar.

"More than likely," Michi answered honestly, sitting on the bed and stretching his legs out.

"Which one would you join?" Caspar asked.

"Probably Dani's," Michi answered instantly. Caspar smirked, seeming to know something the brunet didn't but wouldn't share despite the inquisitive glares Michi shot his way.

"I'd join Nevi. Her worlds sounds awesome and I know for a fact I'd fit in her camps and could handle her monsters now. Besides ... I'd get good blackmail on her and Isaiah," Caspar said, hinting at the debacle of their last mission, and Nevidebla's not-quite-yet boyfriend no matter how much the blonde denied it. Michi nodded, not at all surprised. Since the moment the two had gotten over the argumentative phase, they were like siblings. They still bickered and teased, but there was underlying warmth and protective feel to it. Nevidebla had literally almost lost her wits when Caspar had been separated from the group on the last mission because the redhead couldn't get over his compulsive tendencies with unknown technology. Michi would swear they were more like siblings than actual siblings Michi has met over the years and adventures.

"Let's get some sleep. We have a long day tomorrow," Michi groaned, pulling the covers back and slipping into them. Caspar nodded and did the same, turning so his back was to Michi. The brunet only had enough time to worry about how much this mission could go wrong before he was asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note**

 **I forgot to mention this in the last author's note, but my updates are sporadic. I have no set schedule for this and when I do update, I upload chapters when I have the time and when they are complete.**

 **This chapter does contain hints of racism. I'm not racist, just simply going along with the time for this story. Martin Luther King Jr. was either just born or is going to be born around this time, so there wasn't his prominent movement yet. So in that case, it hasn't been addressed as much as it should. I won't say anymore, you'll just have to read on what I mean.**

 **On a side note, thank you to the people who have favorited and followed this story. Means a ton.**

* * *

 **TWO**

 **The Queen of Legilimency's Favorite Restaurant**

Danielle was the first one to wake up, slipping into a short yellow dress with black stockings and putting the hat from yesterday back on after piling up her black hair again. She didn't put the shoes on right away, glaring down at the heels disdainfully. The blue-eyed girl took her own packets with her as she entered the living room and sat down in the chair she had claimed last night. Her stomach gurgled for food but the four of them had yet to go out and buy food. Maybe they would go out today, find somewhere to have breakfast, and then go to a store to buy an assortment of food.

It wasn't long before Michi was out, wearing black pants, a grey button-up shirt, a red waistcoat, and the matching red newsboy cap from last night. He sat down on the couch, grey eyes looking down at his own packets distastefully and tossing them to the side, declaring them stupid in his own silent way.

"Once the two sleepyheads wake up, we'll head out for breakfast and then go shopping for food, run through the packet on the prisoner, and go from there," Danielle stated.

"Sounds good," Michi agreed, stretching his legs out. Danielle eyed his left leg. She knew his stump still hurt him even with five years of putting up with it. Michi had his bad days and his good days.

"What's it like today?" Danielle asked, lifting her chin enough to indicate the leg.

"Eh," Michi answered, raising a hand to shake it from side to side.

Danielle opened her mouth to inquire more, but then Nevidebla walked in, wearing a long green skirt, a white button-up, a silver waistcoat, and the hat from last night. Her platinum blonde curls had been artfully done so some escaped around her head, ending just above her collarbones, ending in a look corresponding perfectly with the time. She had worn her shoes, but her face was twisted in irritation, more likely at the skirt than anything else.

"Where's Carrot-Top?" Nevidebla asked, flopping down onto the carpet. At her question, Caspar appeared with brown pants, a blue button-up shirt, a brown waistcoat, and his coat already on with his brown newsboy cap over his startlingly red hair.

"Morning," Caspar yawned, sitting down next to Michi.

"We're going to go out, find somewhere to eat, then buy groceries, come back to review the packet on the prisoner, and go from there," Danielle said, standing up and pulling her shoes on with a flashing glare at the offending footwear. Michi stood up and pulled on his coat as Nevidebla and Caspar did the same. They walked out the door, Danielle grabbing her own coat and the keys on the way out. "Michi, you take a set."

"Why not me or Caspar?" Nevidebla whined.

"Because you two can break into the apartment if need be," Danielle answered instantly.

"So can you and Michi," Caspar countered.

Danielle groaned and handed a key to Caspar because why not? He had a point. If Danielle desperately needed to enter the apartment, she could use her intangibility. If Michi was desperate, he could metalbend his way in by messing with the lock. If Nevidebla wanted in, she could pick the lock. If Caspar wanted in ... Danielle didn't know what the redhead would do, but it would be something out of the box for sure.

They walked out of the hotel, the clerk behind the desk having switched out from the guy before. Waving, the four of them stepped out onto the wintery sidewalk of New York City and started to walk. Danielle stayed by Michi encase his leg started to act up like it did on the last mission. His gait was a little uneven at the beginning when the blast of cold air reached him, but he was evening out as he walked close to Danielle. Nevidebla was walking ahead, her stride just as purposeful and precise like yesterday. Caspar was walking behind her and in front of Danielle and Michi, watching everyone and everything intently. Danielle could see his hands were itching for something. Maybe his gloves or some bit of technology that wasn't present in the day and age they were in.

"So, what do we want?" Nevidebla asked, spinning around to walk backwards, somehow not running into the foot traffic.

"Breakfast," Caspar stated.

"I mean what _kind_ of breakfast," Nevidebla snapped, shooting a glare at Caspar.

"Pancakes," Michi answered instantly.

"Eggs and bacon," Caspar supplied with a shrug.

"Anything that won't come to life," Danielle stated. Nevidebla gave her a grin and spun on her feel so she was facing forwards.

"No worries, I'll find us a place," Nevidebla announced confidently, waving a finger high in the air.

"We don't doubt it," Danielle called out, snickering at her friend's behavior.

"I'm skeptical," Caspar declared.

"Remember Everton?" Michi snarked.

"That was one time," Nevidebla snapped, bristling as she sent a scathing glare over her shoulder at the brunet.

"Oh, oh, what about Norton?" Caspar asked, getting in on the joke. Nevidebla's glare deepened and snapped to Danielle, daring her to say anything.

"Raleigh, Muasa, Jia, Delphi," Danielle listed, giving her friend a mischievous look. "Need I go on?"

"No," Nevidebla hissed, facing forwards as her face became pink, "and if you guys don't shut up, I'll lead us straight to a laundromat or something."

"You're as hungry as us," Michi chided.

"Yeah, but like Caspar, I can last a great deal longer," Nevidebla retorted, waving a tanned hand in Caspar's general direction.

"That's not something to be proud of," Danielle said, hand reaching out when Michi stumbled for a moment. The grey-eyed boy gave a grunt, but kept moving. Caspar and Nevidebla had sent back worrying and inquiring looks over their shoulders, which Michi waved off readily.

"No, it's not," Nevidebla agreed slowly, intense hazel eyes focused on Michi for a moment before looking ahead again. She stopped at a crosswalk in wait for the sign to allow them to walk. She turned and looked at Danielle. "But my words still stand."

Danielle opened her mouth to continue the discussion when Caspar snapped to attention. Looking over at her redheaded friend, Danielle noticed his green eyes had turned to stone and were glaring at a woman across the street. She was tall, light pale-skinned, and dressed in a fancy deep blue dress with a pink coat over top. There wasn't a hat on her head, exposing her strawberry blonde hair being done in tight, perfectly done curls. She seemed momentarily shocked by Caspar's glare before looking at the rest of the group.

That's when Danielle felt it. Something propping her mind, skimming over her surface thoughts. It wasn't as invasive as a ghost's, but it unnerved her greatly. Picturing an ectoplasmic shield around Danielle's mind, she pushed the presence out of her head. The woman blinked again, staring intently at Danielle, the skidding fingers caressing the shield before the greyish green eyes snapped to Michi and the presence left. Michi didn't show outwards signs of discomfort except for his eyes narrowing in confusion with a spark of fear in the steely depths. Then the eyes were on Nevidebla and the blonde visibly flinched, eyes screwing shut and face contorting into something bitter, fearful, and angered. Danielle reached for Nevidebla while Caspar edged his way closer to Michi.

"What was that?" Danielle hissed at Nevidebla.

"She's a Legilimens," Nevidebla hissed in return, shooting the woman a look. "I'd say a powerful one. She didn't say the spell or used a wand when she did so."

"Can we block her off?" Danielle asked.

"We'd have to know Occlumency, but it's kinda the same as blocking out a ghost, except you have to extend it out a little more if you wish to be especially proficient at it," Nevidebla explained as the sign changed so it was safe to walk. The four scurried across, the jaunty attitude before having disappeared at the discovery of a witch who was trying to read their minds.

"I don't like this," Caspar hissed as they approached the other stretch of sidewalk where the woman had remained instead of walking across, studying them with a kindly face. Danielle didn't sense anything malicious about the woman, but maybe the bombshell beauty the woman possessed was throwing her off. It happened more often than not in worlds where the declared "bombshells" were uglier on the inside than the outside by millions of astronomical units.

"None of us do," Michi said in a low tone.

"I'm sorry for invading," the woman said in a low tone, joining them in their walk. "I was just curious."

"Curiosity killed the cat," Danielle snarked bitterly.

"I so want to finish that but I won't," Nevidebla murmured.

"You four are looking for a good place to eat, ain't ya?" the woman asked pleasantly. Danielle could feel the eyes of her friends on her. It was her decision and they'd follow it with little complaining.

"Yes," Danielle answered slowly, waiting for those fingers again as the woman met her gaze.

"I won't try to do that again, hon, I promise," the woman said sincerely. "Sometimes, I just can't help myself, ya know?"

"So, it's a natural ability?" Nevidebla asked immediately.

"Yes," the woman answered confidently, looking a little more relaxed.

"That's kinda cool and kinda scary all rolled into one," Nevidebla stated with a nod.

"Like you aren't?" Caspar snarked.

"As long as I'm kina scary, I don't really care," Nevidebla answered immediately.

"Is it harder to turn off?" Michi asked, interrupting the scrabble before it escalated.

"Yes," the woman answered with a nod.

"Where'd you have in mind for food?" Nevidebla asked.

"Oh, this way," the woman said, leading the way. Nevidebla and Caspar followed immediately behind while Danielle hung back with Michi.

"Do you think Nevi took her meds?" Danielle asked.

"Probably not," Michi answered immediately.

"Do you think she ran out or forgot?" Danielle asked.

"Ran out and forgot to fill up," Michi supplied. Danielle snorted, her lips curling into a smirk.

"Yeah, that's Nevi," Danielle agreed. "What do you think of this woman?"

"She wasn't lying when we spoke to her," Michi stated.

"Yes, but it was fairly light," Danielle argued.

"She more than likely knows, though," Michi pointed out.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there. Maybe it'll help us in the long run," Danielle said, rubbing her hands together in the winter chill. She didn't really like this. Ever since she was created, Danielle was used to being unaffected by the cold, but now, she was as vulnerable to it as her friends. Maybe she had a little more resistance, but it still was weird and frightening. Stupid Vlad. And stupid her for not focusing on breaking down the stupid shields during their reprieve. Maybe she'll do that after they read about the prisoner tonight. Maybe it'll also help her relax a little more for this mission.

"Maybe," Michi muttered. "Are you cold?"

"My core isn't a the regular temp I'm used to," Danielle muttered. "So, yes, I'm cold."

"Sorry," Michi whispered, giving a helpless shrug. Danielle rolled her eyes, keeping a small smile down. Sometimes Michi just reminded her of a confused puppy at times.

"It's not your fault," Danielle chided lightly as they approached a building. The woman held the door open, ushering the four friends inside.

"Sarah, sweetie, can I have a table for five," the woman asked brightly.

"Can I ask why?" the hostess asked, collecting menus.

"My coworker had her niece and nephew come and visit with their friends," the woman lied breezily with a dazzling smile. The hostess lead them to a table. Danielle leaned over to Michi.

"She lies just as well as Nevi," Danielle murmured.

"Who're the siblings?" Michi asked. Danielle shrugged helplessly. She had no clue. If she had to bet, she'd put her money on Nevidebla and Caspar. Their hair, eye color, and skin color weren't the same, but somehow both had sharp cheekbones, hooked noses, and thin eyebrows. It was enough to confuse anyone that they were siblings if they tried hard enough to sell the lie. Their attitudes and behavior to one another also sold the lie a great deal, especially during the last mission when Nevidebla had cried over the fact her pseudo brother was stuck on a hostile planet all on his own—even if said pseudo, redheaded brother managed to get on said hostile planet by his impulsive tendencies with technology.

They sat down at the table in the corner. The woman sat down in the chair near the corner. Nevidebla took the seat on her right and Caspar on the left. Danielle sat by Nevidebla while Michi by Caspar. The hostess passed out menus, seeming wearing around Michi and giving him a small, barely-there sneer. Danielle didn't understand that until Nevidebla banged her head on the table, muttering curses in Latin.

"Language," Danielle snarled, stomping her foot on Nevidebla's who shot up and glared.

"What was that about?" Michi asked, looking confused—Michi, the Confused Puppy.

"Racism," Nevidebla whispered, lifting her head and looking around the restaurant, sending out vicious glares at those targeting sneering and aghast faces at Michi.

Danielle bit her lip from unleashing her own questionable words in a language everyone understood. Caspar looked ready to actually kill someone, his hand gripping the knife in their napkins tightly. The woman sent her own glare, somehow being even fiercer than Nevidebla's, or maybe it was because she was beautiful and most people were frightened when beautiful people were as pissed as her.

"I never understood that," the woman scoffed angrily. "People are people. I like ta judge 'em on their minds."

"Thank you," Michi said with a nod, seeming to understand the situation but looked unperturbed by it. "But I'm used to it.

" _What?_ " Nevidebla all but snarled.

"Nevi," Danielle said, hoping her voice was as placating as she could make it while on the inside, she wanted to fight everyone who would so much as do that to Michi. Said brunet opened his mouth to explain before snapping it shut, looking at the woman.

"Maybe we should do introductions," Michi elaborated slowly, "and you can explain what you saw to us."

"That would be best," the woman laughed. "I'm Queenie Goldstein."

"Caspar Braddock," Caspar introduced, keeping his voice level as his fiery green eyes still scanning the restaurant.

"Michi Yamauchi," Michi stated with a nod, looking through the menu nonplused.

"Danielle Fenton, but I prefer Dani, with an "i"," Danielle explained with a strained grin.

"Nevidebla Good but I prefer Nevi," Nevidebla said with a growl still present in her voice.

"You ain't from around here," Queenie stated.

"You'll have to be more specific," Danielle begged. Queenie opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by their water approaching who was giving Michi a death glare. Danielle would give her brunet friend credit, he wasn't even reacting at all. She didn't know if it was because of the flippant statement of dealing with racism before or if it was from all their missions together or if it was somehow a combination of the two fueling the outstanding courage and nonplus attitude radiating off her friend.

"What can I get you to drink?" he asked, not even bothering with a cheery voice or even a smile.

"Water," Michi stated, meeting the man's gaze and begging him to question otherwise. Danielle just gave her friend more credit every passing second on how he was dealing with things. Sure, she could hang her head and handle it if it was targeted t her. But at a friend ... Danielle could feel her own ire soaring to great heights, having every nerve fiber in her body keeping her restrained. Her hands itched, wanting to call for her ecto-manipulation and lash out at the man. She knew Caspar and Nevidebla were going through the same thing and she vaguely wondered how they were not exploding. After all, both were rather impulsive in their own ways.

"Orange juice," Danielle ordered, drawing the attention of the waiter. His face contorted out of the glare as he wrote something down.

"Coffee," Nevidebla said.

"NO!" Michi, Danielle, and Caspar exclaimed in horror, causing the waiter to jump in shock at the outburst, along with a couple at a table nearby, who looked at them all in horror and confusion.

"Fine," Nevidebla groaned ending with a huff, "I'll have some water then."

"Coffee sounds wonderful, hon," Queenie said though her voice was steel and her eyes hard.

"Milk?" Caspar said, his voice making the syllable end like a question.

The waiter nodded before hurrying off, but no before sending a hateful glare at Michi.

"Can't they just kick me out?" Michi asked the table.

"Well ... I guess," Nevidebla said.

"Only the manage will, and they're a good friend o' mine so they better not," Queenie said, eyes focused somewhere between Danielle and Michi. It took everything in Danielle to not turn around and stare at the scene.

"So, they're magical," Nevidebla stated, voice low and only carrying around the table.

"Yes," Queenie answered to the non-question. "And you four ain't but need ta pass like 'em."

"You saw that much?" Caspar asked, his head tilting to the side.

"Oh, I won't give ya away," Queenie said, eyes sparking, but not in the cheeriest way. "If ya here for some dangerous prisoner and was assigned by some great being ... well, I see no need in just telling MACUSA of this."

"Thank you," Danielle whispered happily, chest relaxing from some strain she didn't know she was having.

"Just remember, I'm always willing to help ya if I can," Queenie said with a soft smile not reaching her eyes completely.

"We should help you pay," Nevidebla declared. "We got the money so we can all pay for what we ordered."

"You don't have to do that, sweetie," Queenie spoke merrily, lips tilting in a sweet smirk. "I'm fine paying for this."

"I'd second guess that," Michi spoke up, flipping through the menu. "Danielle can eat for four men, Nevidebla for three, Caspar for two, and me for three and a half."

Queenie blinked before a slow, optimistic grin took over her face. "Oh, I'd love ta cook for all of ya. Of course, all the stuff ya like."

"Cool," Caspar said, smiling wide.

"Whatcha mean you were used to racism, Michi?" Danielle spoke, directing her sharp blue eyes on the light brown-skinned boy. He stopped flipping through the menu and just looked at Danielle for a long time.

"Mom was from the WaterTribes, I just don't know which one. Not many people in the Earth Kingdoms or the Fire Nation appreciate Tribesmen. Most from those areas see them more as savages than anything else, even if most of the technology in my world was brought about by a Tribesman from the Southern WaterTribe. I think Republic City and the rediscovered Air Nomads do—obviously outside of the WaterTribes. But, then again, airbenders can come from all walks of life, along with any resident in Republic City," Michi explained. "I kinda got used to the reactions I received when I wasn't in Republic City."

"Fuck them," Nevidebla stated. Queenie's greyish green eyes widened in shock while Danielle smacked her upside the head none too gently. "Ow ... I deserved that."

"Yep," Caspar spoke, popping the 'p'.

"What else did you see?" Danielle asked Queenie.

"Nothing much except bits from ya past," Queenie said, her eyes going sad as she looked at each of them. "I gotta say, I ain't never seen braver children than you four."

"Let's ... not talk about that," Caspar whispered, voice tight. Danielle nodded in agreement, her mind steering towards Vlad and being strapped down, slowly becoming a puddle of ectoplasm. Then just a few days ago when she was trapped in a cell and the man in his ghost form, choking her mercilessly for something she had said. Queenie looked at her, face contorting into sorrow and anger. Danielle felt the slight breath of fingers in her mind before they receded. It didn't matter, Queenie already knew none of them had led the best of lives. Danielle wouldn't explode over that small intrusion.

"Okay," Queenie agreed with a sympathetic voice.

After that, conversation flowed easily. They ordered and received their food, Michi's not having been tampered with despite the hostility being shown his way. By the time they were paying—the four of them managed to convince Queenie they _would_ be paying for their own meals—Danielle was ready to snap. She had never seen this kind of racism before, yet alone as open hostility as this. In other worlds, it was clear and they were informed immediately. It made her wonder how she could forget something so monumental about a dimension so much like her own.

"Same issue?" Nevidebla asked, sidling up next to her as they walked back to the apartment. They had agreed to drop Michi off before the rest of them would go to the store. None of them liked it, but it was understandable. Michi had only been served because of Queenie and no one wanted to test how far they could go in other places just yet.

"Yeah," Danielle whispered, looking around the street and seeing how badly people gave Michi a wide berth as he walked beside Caspar, the two talking animatedly about something.

"I'm going to have to use the Mist constantly when we're in the hotel," Nevidebla explained lowly. "Those people could easily kick him out without hesitation and not be penalized. Even if we filed a report, it wouldn't stand so much because we're minors and all that jazz. They could argue on that point alone and say it was fair to kick all four of us out."

Danielle just nodded, throat tight.

They made it to the apartment, dropping Michi off, Caspar deciding to remain in the hotel room, too. It left the two girls to wonder back outside in the cold winter to find a grocery store.

"Which way?" Danielle asked as they came to a crossroads, noting Nevidebla's confused face.

"Um ... something's up with my mental map," Nevidebla whispered, her voice tight and anxious.

"Oh?" Danielle asked, raising a thin eyebrow but look around.

"Let's go left," Nevidebla suggested, hesitantly pointing in that direction. Danielle nodded in agreement and they began to walk.

"Why do you think it's acting up?" Danielle asked.

"I don't know," Nevidebla answered with a helpless shrug.

Danielle nodded and they continued in silence, neither noticing the black fog creeping after them.


	3. Chapter 3

**THREE**

 **Searching for a Missing Halfa & Demigod**

It was somewhere between noon and sunset when Michi and Caspar both became worried.

Danielle and Nevidebla hadn't returned to the hotel room, leaving the two boys to sit in the apartment bored out of their minds. Caspar had pulled out a stack of cards, a series of multiple games of poker, go fish, rummy, Texas hold 'em, and more card games learned in different dimensions being played. They had even gone as far as to make a complicated house of cards, Caspar pretending to be some monster tearing it down when they were done. Then, after that, Michi had started to read one of the standard books found in the apartment and Caspar read up on the spells, practicing carefully, making sure his wand movements were precise to begin and complete the spell. Clockwork had made a note, after all, of not saying the spell names on the packets aloud in clear bold of a bigger font. Even Nevidebla would be unable to look over that.

"We should go find them," Caspar declared, standing up and stowing his wand away back into his pants' waistband. Michi stood up, tossing the book down on the couch.

"What if they come back and we aren't here?" Michi asked.

Caspar chewed on his lip, not knowing what to do. They could easily leave a note but his gut was telling him to pack everything and leave the apartment. Something was off and had been off for a while. Despite paying for five nights, they'd have to leave early. He just knew it.

"I ..." Caspar began, trailing off because he didn't know how to describe what he was feeling. He knew Michi would believe him, of course. They had all learned Caspar's intuition was usually right, especially if you subtract technology from the equation.

"Caspar," Michi said carefully, his voice softening and his eyes worried, "what do you feel?"

"We should leave," Caspar took a deep breath, looking around the room as something in his mind spiked. "Now."

Michi didn't question him. Both boys went into action of collecting their bags, which didn't take long. Caspar sent a charm on the suitcases, shrinking them in size. Michi took his and Danielle's while Caspar grabbed his and Nevidebla's, shoving them into his pocket. They left the apartment and hurried down the steps, slipping out of the building unseen by the clerk and into the darkening evening.

"What was that about?" Michi whispered, gait just the tiniest bit uneven now.

"Something's not right," Caspar answered instantly. He could never describe his moments of intuition. Nevidebla had her dreams, Danielle had a better understanding of death and could speak to spirits if need be, and Michi had his seismic sense. Caspar, on the other hand, depended on his gut since he was five. It had gotten somewhat stronger at sensing something wrong since those "labor camps" back in his world. Now, since the missions, it had become so innately strong that Caspar wondered what was going on with him half the time. At least it came in handy when he was able to sense when someone was accessing power a normal human should not have, like Michi bending or Nevidebla controlling the Mist or Danielle accessing her ghostly core.

Michi nodded stiffly as they slipped down an alley. The brunet stopped, causing Caspar to look at him to see him removing his shoes. Caspar knew what his friend was doing, but wondered about his sanity. Then again, according to Nevidebla, Michi had fought barefoot in the final battle on their last mission, the guy having gone toe-to-toe with Medusa.

His earthbender friend banged his metal prosthetic against the ground, eyes screwed tightly. Caspar waited in tense silence, gazing around him in fear. The feeling wasn't gone, but it wasn't as powerful as it was in the apartment. Did it have something to do with the prisoner? He wouldn't be shocked, but that just meant they knew little of the situation. As soon as they found Danielle and Nevidebla, the four of them were sitting down and going over that packet. Caspar wasn't one for taking charge, but he'd take charge of this.

"Not in a ten block radius," Michi stated, pulling his shoes back on. Caspar nodded before the two continued on.

New York City was winding down in foot traffic enough that it wasn't a pain to weave around people if someone was in a hurry, but there were enough people Caspar didn't feel comfortable saying what he was thinking. Michi seemed to be the same way, his grey eyes watching everyone and hands stuffed deeply in his coat's pockets. Caspar wondered how they looked to these strangers. He noticed double-checks, the inquiring looks, the disgusted expressions, and more. Michi was either oblivious or, like he had said, was used to it and thus unaffected by the looks. Caspar licked his lips, trying to parch the dryness that took over for a brief moment.

"This way," Michi hissed, nudging Caspar into an alley. The redhead didn't question it, just followed his friend into the side alley. Michi stopped him from walking too far in. Confused, Caspar looked out and saw someone pass by. It was a taller than average woman with chin-length brown hair, fierce brown eyes, and pale skin. She wore a business suit and a bluish-grey coat over it. The more shocking thing was Caspar felt the magic around her, crackling and popping, in tune with her brisk pace. He had gotten a feel for what magic here felt like with Queenie this morning, how it usually fizzled and bubbled around her and turned sharp and jagged when mad. This woman was both excited and irritated it seemed if Caspar had to put a wager on it. The only question was how did Michi know this woman was magical?

"How?" Caspar whispered, keeping his voice low just encase the woman picked up what they were saying. He didn't know how far their magic went and if it affected their senses in anyway.

"Her steps," Michi whispered, eyes flicking to the entrance before back to Caspar. "They seemed to imbue magic into the ground, making my seismic sense more acute and fuzzy all at once. I ... I can't describe it."

Caspar nodded, patting Michi's shoulder to calm his confused friend down. There was barely anything that made sense in any dimension. Caspar had learned that fact after the second mission he had ever gone on. The redhead was about to suggest they get going when there was a great pop behind them. Both boys jumping, they spun around, dropping into fighting stances, Caspar's hand slowly slipping to his wand. He had to keep up appearances of a wary wizard who didn't know if it was a No-Maj or not—or whatever.

It was a wizard, Caspar knew it. There had been a note on something close to teleportation. He may not remember the name, but he remembered how it sounded like a loud pop. A little too late, but he at least did. The man was tall but had slouched shoulders and bowlegs, making him seem just that bit shorter. His hair was a reddish brown, some fringe getting into his blue eyes, and his skin was pale. He was dusting his waistcoat and blue coat off, looking around with wide eyes and thin lips pursed. He jumped slightly when he took notice of the redhead and brunet. Caspar felt his soothing magic spike in fear before it settled into waves of calm again. Even if Caspar wished to be angry or scared, he would probably find it unfeasible around this man.

"I really don't want to go through this again," the man grumbled, his voice distinctively British.

"Go through what again?" Michi asked suspiciously, his stance widening and hands up, eyes becoming steel.

"Obliviations," the man stated, pulling out a wand.

"No, no," Caspar yelped, waving his arms around frantically. Who knows what this man could erase if he did such a spell on them! "We're wizards."

The man stopped and gave Caspar a look. Knowing he might want some evidence, Caspar pulled his own wand out and nudged Michi to do the same. Said brunet got out of his stance and pulled out his own aspen wand. Nodding, the man grinned, blue eyes becoming light and relaxed.

"What are you two gentlemen doing here?" the British man asked.

"Looking for some friends of ours," Michi answered truthfully, looking around.

"Got lost, did they?" the man inquired.

"We got separated," Caspar elaborated briefly. "One's actually my step-sis and the other's her best friend."

So what if Caspar was stretching the truth? The crazy blonde was his pseudo sister after all.

"Why don't I help you look?" the man suggested.

"We'll be fine," Michi stated.

"It is not a good idea for two young men to wander New York alone," the man advised, his eyes seeming to contain something in them that was unreadable. "And if you are looking for this friend and sister of yours, we should do it faster. Maybe I should call in some of my friends."

"Uh, sir, we'll be fine. I promise," Caspar said, awkwardness coating every word. The man shook his head and Caspar could feel his magic fizzle and become jagged from anxiety. This was the weirdest thing Caspar had ever witnessed. He wondered if this was what empathetic people felt because Caspar would imagine it was like this. His stomach dropped when he realized this world was going to be hard on him with the constant usage of magic with certain people and how they exuded it.

"Nonsense," the man said, insistent for some reason, eyes hard and sad. "A lot can happen out here and I'd rather make sure you four have a good place to stay. You do, don't you?"

"Uh, 'bout that," Caspar whispered softly.

"Caspar here's got a good intuition border lining precognition. The apartment we were staying at felt dangerous so we had to leave immediately," Michi filled in, seeming to decide lying wasn't going to get them anywhere. But _why_ did Michi have to call his gut feeling and strange awareness of power precognition? It wasn't! Nevidebla had the precognitive dreams. And even then, they weren't entirely precognitive!

"Nevi's precognitive," Caspar snapped, giving Michi a glare.

"Then what the hell do you want me to call this thing!" Michi exclaimed in exasperation. "It's been over a year, Caspar, we should have a name for this now."

"Fine, call it premonition or clairvoyance or something of the like," Caspar stated, crossing his arms, ignoring the confused and amused look the man was giving them. Michi just looked at him for a few seconds before shaking his head.

"I swear, you and Nevi are long-lost siblings," Michi stated.

"What?" Caspar asked. He knew it might be true with how they dealt with each other, even if it took them forever to get on pseudo sibling ground. The first six or seven months of being Clockwork's apprentices had them fighting worse than cats and dogs.

"Precognitive dreams and premonitions? That's spelling trouble," Michi laughed, shaking his head.

"Says the guy with a connection to the ground beneath us," Caspar snarked, punching his shoulder.

"I hate to interrupt," the man laughed, his smile awkward along with his stance, "but we should really go and inform my friends about this."

Michi and Caspar exchanged a look. It seemed it would be impossible to convince the man they would be fine.

"Lead the way," Michi sighed. The three began to walk down the street before Caspar remembered something important.

"I'm Caspar Braddock," Caspar introduced himself.

"Michi Yamauchi," Michi provided.

"Newt Scamander. What are the names of your friends?" the man—Newt—asked.

"Nevidebla Good but she prefers Nevi and Danielle Fenton, though she prefers Dani with an "i"," Michi explained.

They continued in silence, heading for a building. At the entrance, Newt hesitated for a moment before opening it. He held a finger to his lips and guided the two boys up the staircase, all three being weary of where they placed their feet. Even Michi managed to be extra silent with his metal leg. Caspar's fingers itched from the tension when they finally stopped outside a door and Newt knocked on the door loud enough the occupants would hear it but soft enough no one else in the building hopefully wouldn't.

The door opened to the woman from before passing by the alley Caspar and Michi had slipped into. Caspar could feel her magic swirl in happiness and become bluntly spiked in confusion at the ends. It made his mind twist and his gut to roll. No, this world was not fun. The girls had seemed excited to be here, despite Danielle saying they were decades off whenever this world truly began its tale that they knew of. But Caspar was starting to hate the dimension more and more. Stupid him and his ability to start sensing others' outrageous abilities.

"New, what's this about?" the woman asked, eyeing Michi and Caspar as she moved to the side, allowing them to enter.

"I'm sorry, Tina," Newt apologized, wringing his hands together. "These two are looking for their missing friends. And yes, they are wizards."

The woman, Tina, nodded, her brown eyes still suspicious and analytical, but softening around the edges.

"How long have they been missing?" Tina asked the two.

"Since a little after seven this morning," Caspar said with a shrug, not meeting the woman's gaze. She screamed authority and he wasn't comfortable with people like that. Never had been and probably never will.

"How do you know they aren't just running late from something?" Tina asked skeptically.

"Because Nevi never gets lost," Caspar snapped, glaring at the carpet. Michi placed a hand on his shoulder, telling Caspar he would take over now.

"What Caspar's saying is that one of our friends, Nevi, has an innate ability of traversing a city. If she's lost, it's serious," Michi explained simply while not completely elaborating on anything. "Along with that, they should have been back at the most an hour after noon. We just thought they go held up for a long time because Nevi can't focus on one thing for too long and Dani can sometimes get dragged along with her."

Tina nodded, seeming to be thinking carefully. At that time, someone Caspar didn't think he'd see again stepped out from what was obviously the kitchen area. Queenie Goldstein widened her eyes at the sight of the two boys, her greyish green eyes scanning them. Caspar became stiff as he felt something in his head that wasn't welcome. This time, he knew it was Queenie, and she understood a whole lot more how serious this situation could be. Pushing his thoughts, worries, and theories to the front of his mind, Caspar prayed Queenie saw it all.

"It's good to see you again, Ms. Goldstein," Michi greeted evenly, nodding at Queenie. Some days, Caspar thought Michi could easily be a politician then remembered the brunet's _slight_ trust issues and abrasive attitude at times. So, that wouldn't do.

"Let's find them," Queenie declared, grabbing her coat immediately.

"How d'you know them?" Tina asked quickly, stepping into action as if to stop Queenie.

"She took us to breakfast this morning when we were trying to find a place to eat," Caspar supplied, voice coming off timid and he hated himself for that. Michi subtly nudged him in a way of support.

Tina nodded, lips pursed and sending Queenie a look.

"We can talk 'bout this later, Teenie," Queenie said, passing Tina her coat. "But I met 'em and these girls simply can't be lost."

Tina gave another stiff nod and then the five of them left the building and wandered down the streets. The sun was slipping beyond the horizon by the time they were turning onto the main street of New York City. Tina was in the lead with Newt a little way behind her and Queenie behind them. Michi was in front of Caspar while the redhead took up the rear. He knew they would be fine. Danielle and Nevidebla were both insanely smart and capable of escaping—they all were capable of escaping numerous things. But even then, the worry seeped in and rolled in his stomach. He knew Danielle had been abducted by Skulker and sent to Vlad, her creator, on the last mission. Caspar, himself, had been on Apokolips at the time because he had fiddled with the wrong piece of technology and threw caution to the wind.

And maybe if it wasn't for the circumstances on _why_ they were in this world, Caspar might not have been as worried as he was. But there was a prisoner in this world—either on the loose or still caged within a prison—and who knows what this prisoner was capable of. For all he knew, they were taken by the prisoner or by someone in the wizarding community in America or some regular non-magical person who got lucky in knocking them out.

He was so focused on panicking he almost missed the feeling.

Once he did, Caspar didn't know whether to relax or hyperventilate. He settled for whipping his head about until he felt how strong Nevidebla's presence was in one area. There wasn't an exact incident he could name when he began to sense Nevidebla's dream-self. It had happened gradually over the months until sometimes, he swore he could hear her or just make her out. At the moment, all he knew was her presence—that same untamable energy, protectiveness, and something that just reminded Caspar of needing to run and escape everything.

"Michi," Caspar called, drawing the attention of all four of them. Tina, Queenie, and Newt didn't understand, but Michi did, and that was all that mattered.

"Do you think she can lead us?" Michi asked. Caspar gave his friend a look and motioned his hand where Nevidebla's dream-self was roughly in.

"She can hear you, you know," Caspar grumbled.

Michi just gave him an unimpressed look.

"Okay, yes, she can," Caspar grossed, sending a look at the area. "The only problem is if she wants to."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Michi asked harshly. Caspar cringed slightly. "Sorry."

"For all we know, Nevi's just checking up on us because, I don't know, _they were captured_ ," Caspar snapped, dropping his voice at the last half so only Michi could hear. He could see Michi accepted the answer by the smallest flicker in his gaze.

Caspar was about to continue when he felt her presence slowly walk off. It wasn't fading so that meant she _was_ leading them. Without hesitating, Caspar walked after her. Michi followed him and he could hear Tina, Queenie, and Newt following, asking a multitude of questions. Caspar ignored the questions, only focused on not losing Nevidebla's dream-self. Michi could answer them, anyway. He was good at that, for the most part. Maybe pass it off as his premonition or something of the like.

He was stopped when a hand latched onto his arm. Caspar spun around, hand lifting to punch the person when he realized it was Tina. Awkwardly, Caspar lowered his fist, giving a sheepish smile. The woman was not amused nor impressed.

"What is going on?" Tina asked.

"Nevi can, at times, project something of her while she sleeps. We call it her dream-self," Caspar explained, glancing behind him. Nevidebla, thank the gods of her world, had stopped but it was almost like she felt anxious. It was imbuing the air around her and drifted towards Caspar, clogging his lungs slightly. "Michi and Dani can't sense her, but I can."

"It's part of his premonition thing," Michi tacked on, shifting his feet. "And we should really keep continuing. We don't know how long Nevi's got to sleep and project herself to us at the moment."

"How long do they last?" Tina asked, releasing Caspar's arm. Caspar started to follow Nevidebla at a fast pace.

"Ranges from seconds to minutes," Caspar said none too helpfully.

They wound through a series of alleys. Nevidebla's dream-self seemed to stall at some points, uncertainty shooting off her in spikes. Caspar felt nauseous and a headache was blooming between his eyes. It was when they walked around another corner did they find something unusual. A body was sprawled on the dirty street, black coat pooled around them to expose their yellow dress. Black hair and half of their face had landed in a puddle, turned away from them.

"DANI!" Michi yelled, taking off to the prone form. Caspar felt today's breakfast make an appearance in the back of his throat. He forced himself to swallow it back down as he joined his friends. When the fact was turned, Caspar could clearly make out Danielle's pale face, scattered with cuts that were healing. Hand shaking, Caspar pressed his fingers against her neck, feeling her slow—but not as slow as it used to be—heartbeat beneath them. Sighing in relief, Caspar went about examining Danielle for any injuries. Michi held her up enough that he could cradle her to his chest and allow Caspar access to her back for examination. There was a goose egg on the back of her head, Caspar could only guess her advanced healing had made broken bones in her back severely bruised, and it was probably the same for her ribs. Danielle's legs were fine, though probably bruised, even if it was impossible to tell with her wearing stockings and all.

"She okay?" Queenie asked, crouching down beside Caspar as he examined her arm. It was easier to see since removing her from her coat momentarily.

"She'll be fine," Caspar sighed, placing the limb on Danielle's stomach. "She's more than likely severely bruised and was probably knocked out."

"We should find Nevi now, right?" Queenie asked, looking around as if she was trying to locate the blonde's dream-self. That was when Caspar noticed the lack of protectiveness of Nevidebla's presence.

"She's gone," Caspar said monotonously," staring down at his leader's prone form.

"We should get her back," Tina declared, somehow walking closer without Caspar noticing, Newt right behind her. Caspar nodded as Michi stood up, gathering Danielle in his arms with little strain.

They walked back to the Goldstein's apartment in silence, making it past the land lady and to the furnished apartment. Michi didn't hesitate in gently placing Danielle on the couch, careful not to aggravate anything. Caspar sat down on the floor closest to Danielle and started to remember the spells in the packet. There was barely anything on healing spells. Some for closing cuts, but Danielle's were superficial now. There was one for minor wounds but bruised bones—because Danielle have to have _some_ —were not minor. They didn't have any potions or ingredients to utilize. If Nevidebla were here, she'd know what to do, even if it was just a little. She knew how to heal and with the magic here on her side ... who knows what she'd be capable of.

"Does she need healing?" Queenie asked, standing uncertainly at the edge of the couch. Caspar gave a short nod. "Don't know how?"

"No," Caspar answered with a heavy sigh, standing up. "Nevi would've though."

Queenie nodded before rifling through a series of magazines on the table. Tina soon joined her as Newt awkwardly sat down on a chair, looking at Danielle's passed out form intently. Michi had sat himself on the couch, cushioning Danielle's head with a pillow in his lap. Caspar wished Nevidebla was here so they could share a conspiratorial glance about this. It wasn't hard to see that his leader and second were slowly forming something beyond friends after the last mission. Maybe it had something to do with the fact they had all nearly lost their lives on the last mission: Michi and Nevidebla in an all-out war with monsters from Nevidebla's world; Danielle from her own creator in the hopes of having her cousin relinquish the crown to the Ghost Zone before he was even coroneted; and Caspar to Darkseid while trapped on Apokolips. That was probably the catalyst for them all to realize they could still die. Every mission before that one was easy and gave them each a cocky streak some point in the year they've been at this.

So, it wasn't shocking to know that if the two had kept feelings for the other hidden that it was slowly showing through now. It was in that tentative stage, something Nevidebla would be better at noticing. After all, Caspar was pretty sure she ha gotten to that stage with Isaiah, and might still _be_ in that stage. Now that he thought about it, he was the only one in the group not finding someone. And ... he was okay with that. Who needed some romantic mushy love when he can just have the love of friends and family? That was enough for him.

"What are you looking for?" Caspar asked, watching as the two starkly different sisters flipped through magazine after magazine with moving images of witches on the front. One even had a shirtless wizard on it!

"There's a magazine with healing spells _somewhere_ in this pile," Tina answered.

"I'll go make some cocoa," Queenie declared, dropping the magazine she was flipping through into Caspar's hands. Intrigued at seeing a wizarding magazine—even if he could feel the magic zipping through his veins and it left him lightheaded—Caspar began to flip through the pages. After a moment, he realized it was full of knitting patterns. _Why_ Queenie had been adamantly flipping through it, Caspar didn't know, nor did he want to figure out why. Putting it on the table, he grabbed a different one. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Newt dig through his pockets before pulling out vials of things, muttering words beneath his breath.

"Do you have anything Newt?" Tina asked, looking at the vials.

"I don't even know what's wrong with her," Newt answered honestly, waving a hand at Danielle.

"More than likely bruised bones," Caspar answered instantly, grimacing as he thought of how much pain Danielle had to be in. It was no wonder she was passed out then. Even a halfa couldn't possibly stand all that pain.

Newt nodded, picking up the vials and turning them this way and that. Caspar went back to the magazines, tossing five aside by the time Queenie came back wit hot cocoa floating in the air behind her before being placed down in front of each of them. Caspar didn't hesitate in taking a sip, burning his tongue in the process. Cringing in pain, Caspar put the cup down as Michi chuckled.

"Not funny," Caspar grumbled, hitting Michi's leg, momentarily forgetting it was the prosthetic one, hurting his hand. "Dammit."

Caspar shook his hand out as Michi laughed, being careful to not shake too much. Narrowing his eyes, Caspar sent his friend a scathing look.

"I think I found one," Newt declared, holding up a vial filled with some greyish liquid in it.

"What is it?" Caspar asked. Newt seemed to weight the answer before shaking his head.

"It's best if you don't know what's in it," Newt sighed, walking over to Danielle. "But it'll help her with her bruised bones, at least."

"It helps bruising?" Michi asked, tilting his head to the side. Newt nodded as he uncorked the vial. Caspar held his nose at the reeking stench. He was glad he wasn't having that going down his throat. Newt poured a little into Danielle's mouth. It was a delayed reaction as Danielle shot up, gagging on what had to be a disgusting taste in her mouth. Coughing raucously, she curled into a ball as Michi rubbed her back and Caspar placed a hand on her foot. Once the coughing stopped, Danielle peeked out to look around.

"How you feeling?" Caspar asked.

"Like Dora sat on me," Danielle answered bluntly. "What did I drink?"

"Don't know; he wouldn't tell us," Caspar answered, motioning a hand to Newt. Danielle narrowed her blue eyes, looking around before they landed on Queenie.

"Hi, Ms. Goldstein," Danielle rasped, waving a hand.

"It's good to see ya again, Dani. I just wish it wasn't under these circumstances," Queenie answered with a warming smile.

"What happened?" Tina asked. Danielle froze up, worrying Caspar greatly.

"Dani," Caspar whispered, pleading.

"She ... he ... it took Nevi," Danielle whispered, eyes losing focus. "I ... I'm pretty sure they did. I was pushed off the roof. Don't know how we ended up on a roof. Last thing I saw was ... was Nevi lunching at them and a flash ... then they were gone."

"Anything else?" Michi asked.

"They said something about stopping the ... magical infection?" Danielle continued, the statement sounding more like a question than an answer.

Caspar wanted to know more but could see how tired his leader was. Exchanging a quick glance with Michi, the brunet understood. Placing a hand on Danielle's shoulder, he slowly straightened her out again so she was lying down.

"Get some rest Dani," Michi ordered softly. "We can discuss in the morning."

"But Nevi," Danielle began, panic in her eyes. As much as it pained Caspar, he let a cheeky smile overtake his face.

"You think Nevi's just going to go down?" Caspar snarked, the words tasting sour in his mouth. "Nah, she'll be fine and we'll find her again real soon. You just watch."

"But we need you at your best, so rest," Michi tacked on, worry lining his face and voice. Not all of it just directed at Danielle's condition. The black-haired girl nodded and slowly fell asleep. Sighing, Caspar looked at the others who stood in silence, expectant looks on their faces.

"Can ... we explain in the morning," Caspar asked hopefully.

"Yes," Queenie interjected immediately. "Come on, I'll lead you two to the guest room."

Michi nodded, picking Danielle up who didn't wake up. They followed Queenie, ignoring the stares Tina and Newt were giving them.

"Here you go," Queenie said, opening the door. Michi placed Danielle on one of the beds, looking around. "You two might have to share."

"That's okay," Michi interjected with a strained grin.

"Do you know what could have happened to her?" Queenie asked, lowering her voice slightly.

"No," Caspar answered honestly, "but we're not going to stop trying to find her."

Queenie nodded and walked to the door. She stopped in the doorway and turned to look at them. "Get some rest. See ya in the morning, hons."

"You, too," Michi said as Queenie left. Caspar didn't wait for an invitation, just flopped onto the bed as Michi followed suit. The two boys fell asleep instantly, worry resting deep in their bones.


End file.
